Artificial-fuel composition and process.



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7 To dZZ'whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, RICHARD F. Damon, a" cit izen of the United States, and, resident of new York, borough of Bronx, in the county, of Bronx and State oi New York, haveIinVent-ed certain new and useful improvements in Artificial-Fuel Compositions ahdlrocesses, of which the following is a specification. i

Various attempts have been made to utilize coal dust. and screenings, particularly from anthracite, as a fuel whereby the vast accuinulations of this material may be substituted for the more expens' "/fOl'll'lS of fuel such as coal or oil. Thc'dust or screenings cannot be used alone i1 inc ordinary "furnace,

due to the fact that large quantities fall (ii rectlylthroug'h the grate tothe ash-bed and a considerable portion 18 carried up the stack, making a densesmoke, wasteful oi fuel.

Tlie"rnixing ot' the anthracite dust or screenings with ingredients acting as a binde'rfand the compression of the product into 'briquets'; possesses certain advantages, but inyolves the use of expensive labor and mixinfihnd pressing n'iachinery, bringin thecostsufiiciently high to prevent the cf footing of any material economies over the use of bituminous coal.

Thefad'dition of binders-such as clay or other noncombustible substances, whether the, mixture be compressed or burnedloose, often results in the formation of clinhers and in" any event involves a loss of the heat required' to bring such inert substances up to the temperature ofthe fire-bed.

As aresult oi my invention or discovery, I am able touse commercial anthracite dust or screenings without adding expensive in gredients and without the use of expensive mechanical operations such as grinding or pressing. I accomplish this result by adding thereto a comparatively small quantity of a combustible liquid of such a character that it may be quickly, easily and economically 'mixed with the dust or screenings and which, at the same time, will act to hold t0- gether the small particles of coal forming the coal dust or screenings after the latter are thrown on the fire-bed and while they are being heated up, to the temperature of the free combustion of coal.

It is important that the liquid, shall be or low viscosity so that it will flow freely throughout the mass during the muting and will merely wet the surface oi? the coal par-' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nae is, leis,

Application filed Eauuary 1&2, 191$. Serial No. 213,538.

titles without filling the spaces between them. It is also important that the liquid shall be of high flash and boiling points so that it will remain. in the coal dust for some time after the latter is thrown on the iire and will burn with the coal dust, or at least will not all olatilise or burn out before the coal dust is heated up to such a that it begins to freely burn.

The coal dust or screenings which 1 cmploy are commercial anthracite dust or screenings just as they come from the coal yards or mine dumps and without grinding or crushing. The particles of such dust or screenings are substantially non-absorptive of iquid and vary in size from the finest powder to pieces of the size constituting what is known as buckwheat coal. The

- relative proportions of the finer and coarser particles also very; in some'eases, the coarser particles predominating to such an extent as to make the screenings little or no ditl'eu ent from the finer grades oi louckwheatv coal.

The low viscosity liquid, in wetting the surfaces of the particles, loosely holds them together more by surface tension than by any adhesive properties of the liquid which are substantially negligible, due to the low I am aware that attempts have been mac to produce an artificial fuel composed only of coal dust and a combustible liquid, but

:so far as i know, it has heretofore been considered necessary to either rind the coal dust to a powder or use a hig viscosity oil, or do both, which prevents the advantageous results and economies efie'cted by means of my, composition.

artist preferred liquid fuel for use with the unground, substantially non-absorptive, commercial anthracite dust or screenings, I

employ a liquid fuel formed as one of the waste or by-productsin the manufacture of illuminating or heatin gas? This liquid "is not only combustible ut is of sulfieiently low viscosity as to facilitate its ready mix- 'ture with the coal articles, but it is'also of the de'sired'high ash and boiling points. The analysis of a large number oi samples viii of the particular liquid which have been using shows an average gravityo z a respect to the 1.06 and 17,018 B. T. U. per pound. Although I do not-wish to be limited to this ,specific liquid, yet it is important that the liquid used have the general properties hereinbefore set forth.

The quantity of liquid may be varied in amount of solid fuel but I find from experiment that too large an amount of liquid tends to fill the voids and prevent the free passage of air through the mass, while burning and thus give objectionable incomplete combustion and resulting smoke, While too small an amount does not hold the particles together to the desired extent.

With the particular liquid above referred to, namely the waste or by-product from the manufacture of heating or illuminating gas, approximately ten gallons ofliquid fuel to the ton of dust or screenings gives satisfactory results. Somewhat smaller or larger quantities may be employed.

By the term coal dust I do not mean a powder. I use the term with its commercial significance and refer to that product called screenings by some coal companies and coal dust by others, the product being what is left after the screening out of the various different sizes of commercial such as stove, egg, nut, larger sizes of buckwheat.

N 0 special apparatus is needed for effecting the mixture of the two ingredients. The mere pouring of the liquid fuel over a pile of the coal 'clust may be sufficient or it may be sprayed on, or the two may be brought into intimate relationship in various other ways, as for instance by mixing with a shovel or hoe, or by a mechanical mixer, such for instance as is commonly used for the mixing of concrete. The mixture is neither solid nor compressed, so that the entire mass has small cavities or interstitial spaces filled with'air and the sides of the coal particles defining this mu'ltiplicity of small air chambers are covered or coated'with the liquid fuel.

y improved composition may be used in connection. with bituminous coal or other solid fuel, the fire bed being first supplied with the usual fuel and then with my improved composition, or the two may be fed together, or my improved composition may coah pea, rice and the be used alone and the entire fire bed made up of it. It is not necessary to make up the composition in any great quantities as the fireman may mix up. merely the days supply for the time.

This application is a continuation in part and companion of my prior application Serial No. 198,214, filed October 24, 1917.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fuel composition consisting of loose, commercial anthracite coal-duster screen ings and a high-boiling liquid fuel havin low viscosity at ordinary temperatures, the amount of such liquid being merely such as will wet the faces-of the coal particles, without filling the voids therebetween to a substantial extent andsuch liquid fuel being of sufficiently high boiling point to insure persistence of a substantial amount of liquid fuel in the mixture until such mixturp is at or near the ignition point of the coa 2. The process which comprises adding to anthracite coal-dust or screenings a liquid fuel of low viscosity and high boiling-point in the quantity which will serve merely to wet the particles of the coal without filli the voids therebetween to a substantial extent, such liquid fuel being in substantial part of sufficiently high boiling point to persist in the mixture 11 to a temperature near the temperature of ignition of the eoalp mixture in loose and then delivering the condition to the fire-bed.

3. A fuel composition consisting of loose commercial anthracite coal dust or screenings, and a liquid fuel having low viscosity at, ordinary temperatures, the coal dust and liquid being approximately in the proportions of one ton of the former to ten gallons of the latter, and the liquid fuel being of sufiiciently high boiling point to insure persistence of a substantial amount of liquid fuel in the mixture until such mixture is at or near the ignition pointof the coal.

sigllegfat New Ytilik, oathcounty of' New York, and State of New York, this 11th day of January- 1918.

RIoriARD F. DALTON.

furnace or only a ton or so at a 

